Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice has left prison after serving nearly a year and got a Lexus as a welcome home present.

The reality TV queen was photographed leaving the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut after being released in the early hours of Wednesday morning. She was sentenced to 15 months in jail in October 2014 after being found guilty of fraud charges and was let out early just in time for Christmas.

On arriving home in New Jersey, where she was reunited with daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana, husband Joe Giudice presented her with a brand new Lexus - it even had a red bow on it.

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Seen for the first time in a year, the RHONJ star looked healthy and happy as she was seen being driven away from the prison wearing an outfit of all black.

According to insiders, Teresa spent some time by herself before starting the journey back to New Jersey and her family and emerged from the building around 30 minutes after her 5am release time, People magazine reports.

The brand new Lexus was pictured with a huge red bow on outside Teresa and Joe's New Jersey mansion (Image: INF)

"She took a little while to come out so it looked like she took some time to get herself together," a source told the magazine.

The star reportedly wanted to look ready for the cameras on her release and spent most of her time doing her make-up and hair, before changing into clothes her lawyer had brought her from home.

"She wanted to make sure she looked good when she came out," another source said.

The family will spend Christmas together before Joe starts his own prison sentence.

According to reports their four daughters couldn't wait for the early Christmas present. A source revealed they "could hardly sleep last night because they were so excited that their mom was coming home."